The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-27
LET Us HAVE THE GAS.

win regard TO the present acuVlty IN real
estate and revival of business. it is worth
while to remark that it is not due to the
"natural-gas craze nor to any new condi-
tons The discovery that the city is in the
natural gas field, and the certainty that it will
very soon be supplied with the new fuel, has
undoubtedly FASTENED the revival of business,
but it would have come anyhow. The adj
vance in real estate has been foreseen for long
time by shrewd observers, and its coming has
only been question of time. The future of
Indianapolis has never been doubtful. The
city has had a long pull and hard one; a long
haul with good many discriminating rates
against her in one form or another, but there
has never been any doubt that she would
come out all right in the end. The condi-
lions of a new growth and prosperity have
been here all the time, partially OBJ
scured and embarrassed it is true, by
untoward circumstances but here neverthe-
less. The majority of our business men who
have held on and held out so bravely during
the years of depression, maintaining their in
dividual credit and the commercial credit and
honor of the city, and making determined
and successful fight against series of public
reverses, have never, to their great credit be
it said, lost faith in the ultimate outcome and
final triumph of the city. Their judgment is
about to be vind;cated. The present revival,
{box. .rL& ho1;o b 4
would have come even under former condi-
tons, without the added impetus of natural
gas The city's advantages as railroad and
manufacturing center and distributing point
are too real, too substantial, too numerous
and too conspicuous to permit her to remain
permanently in the background. These ad-
vantages have been asserting themselves all
the time indianapolis has enjoyed healthy
growth for years past-not noisy nor very
rapid growth, but solid and healthy. Our
manufacturing interests have shared in this
growth to remarkable degree. Our whole
sale and jobbing trade has increased and ex-
tended In fact Indianapolis has been grow
ing right along though not booming" It
had to pay off an old score and recover from
hard fall before it could boom. But the re-
vival of real estate activity was sure to come,
simply because the conditions made it newt
able. twas only question of time when both
home and foreign capitalists would see that
real estate in Indianapolis was very low, and
that it offered an inviting field for legitimate
investment.
On top of other advantages has come the
discovery that Indianapolis is in the natural
gas belt. The value and Importance of this
discovery can hardly be overestimated. Com
ing just at this juncture, when all the other
conditions were favorable and the time fully
ripe for revival of prosperity, this
discovery has set the whole train in
motion. 1t did not cause the movement, but
has accelerated it; it did not create, but has
fastened the revival. The introduction of
natural gas will place Indianapolis at once
in the fore front Of American cities in re-
spect of manufacturing advantages and will
add very greatly to its attractions as a place
of residence and business. The results of
such a consummation can hardly be esti-
mated 1t follows that the sooner we have it
| the better. 1t is now ascertained beyond a
| doubt that we are to have the gas. That
much is assured, and, to certain extent, we
are justified in discounting the event.
Whether justified or not, it cannot be helped.
This is one of the cases in which neither
men nor circumstances can be controlled.
We are to have the gas, therefore let US be-
gin to make the most of it. But we cannot
actually make the most of it till we get it.
We want gas in the pipes and in factories
and houses, not on paper merely. We want
gas in possession, not in prospect;
in realization, not in promises. There
fore, the City Council should lose
no time in enacting an ordinance
that will open the door and pave the way for
the introduction of gas at the earliest practi-
cable moment. No selfish or sentimental con-
sideration should be allowed to retard or delay
the consummation. The city at large, the
masses of the people, the community gener-
ally, do not care who brings the gas here
What they want is gas, and that soon as
possible. They do not care fig whether it is
brought by local or by foreign capital, by
some indianapolis company or by the Stand
ard Oil Company. Throw the door wide open,
ring the bell for fair start, and the company
that can get here first with sis the company
we want. There must be no monopoly of
rights. no exclusive franchises, but free-for-
all race. Of course, the rights of the people
and of the city must be properly guarded.
With this promise, let US have gas as soon as
possible, so that we may begin to realize the
immense advantages in store for us.
THE BOOM Is HERE.
( The ''boom" came slowly up this way, but
it has come. Like delayed letter or post